Whenever I celebrate Pentecost I think of my @YaleMed classmate and 2007 neurosurgery match-mate Paul Kalanithi (When Breath Becomes Air). Despite his unfortunate passing, his word and presence continue to transform despair into abiding joy! RIP brother

“The Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.” -Gerard Manley Hopkins

Quite a blessing to venture around this kind of anatomy in the AM and help someone, be able to re-submit an RO1 in the afternoon, and make it home to pitch some batting practice.

We had a special visitor come by the parish before Christmas. He told us “This Church and you all are a major reason why this happened.” Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Congratulations, Fernando and a Merry Christmas!

Amazing accomplishment for ⁦@kahlelab⁩ MD/PhD grad alum ⁦@Phan_Q_Duy⁩ for making Forbes 30 under 30 list in science. Recognition of past accomplishment and future potential! Just wait for his next act in progress! ⁦@MGBResearchNews⁩ ⁦ forbes.com/30-under-30/2026/…

I would like us to remember the Lord’s words: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). It is truly so! If we concretely love those who are hungry and thirsty, those without clothing, those who are sick, strangers, or prisoners, then we are loving the Lord.

Congrats to ⁦@harvardmed⁩ and ⁦@kahlelab⁩ star Evan Dennis, outstanding neurosurgery resident applicant in the pipeline for 2027 match. Huge story upcoming on genomics of Chiari I malformation! ⁦@PedsSection⁩ ⁦@MGBResearchNews⁩ ⁦@MGBneurosurgery⁩

RIP

Congrats to Dr Simard and @UMDNeurosurgery @UMDNsgyChair! Both Dr Simard and Graeme have been terrific mentors to me personally, and Mark’s ideas motivated our first work in the choroid plexus! Archetypal neurosurgeon-scientist @MGBneurosurgery @harvardmed

R.I.P. Paul Tagliabue: the commissioner who brought Catholic values to the NFL americamagazine.org/short-ta…

Catholic Bishops Rebuke U.S. ‘Mass Deportation’ of Immigrants nytimes.com/2025/11/12/us/bi… via @NYTimes

Congrats to Garrett, Kedous, Evan, and Danielle! Be on the lookout for the paper. @harvardmed @MGBResearchNews @BostonChildrens @AANSNeuro @CNS_Update

Recent events get me thinking about true power: “But mercy is above this sceptered sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice.” -Shakespeare, MofV, Cf. Lk 6:36, Ex 34:6

Excited to announce our latest publication! PTEN mutations impact neuroprogenitor cell development leading to altered cortical networks and hydrocephalus. Amazing team effort @kahlelab, @luikartlab, @EmreKiziltug, and all of our incredible co-authors! nature.com/articles/s41593-0…

Congrats ⁦@kahlelab⁩ alumni and now neurosurg residents ⁦@tdespenza⁩, ⁦@EmreKiziltug⁩ and collaborators Bryan Luikart et al. on bringing this to fruition. Hydro mutations impact brain AND drain! ⁦⁦@harvardmed⁩ ⁦@MGHNeuroSci⁩ nature.com/articles/s41593-0…

“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups… The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan.’” commonwealmagazine.org/franc…

Special thanks to ⁦@SNS_Neurosurg⁩ for the opportunity to speak at this year’s RUNN course in Woods Hole on the use of integrative -omics for elucidating pediatric neurosurgical disease. Nice backdrop to talk with future neurosurgeon-scientist leaders! ⁦@PedsSection⁩

Congrats ⁦@kahlelab⁩ and ⁦@harvardmed⁩ student and future neurosurgeon Neel Mehta for discovering a new human disease gene (LDB1) and impressing folks like my ⁦@BostonChildrens⁩ mentor Ben Warf and legend Jim Rutka at ⁦@ISPNeurosurgery⁩ in Toronto.

"If there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power…a democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism.” - St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus (1991).